Sumitomo just closed their Buffalo factory

[Jetronic]

I've got to get around to watching that movie some day.

that's all I remember about it, so maybe not lol

 

[ripcord]

so it's not actually the rubber causing the smell? I don't know, never been to a rubber plantation.

I was talking about how toxic the whole process can be.

 

[97prizm]

Inflation, foreign competition, bad business decisions, high labor costs, non-profitability... pick one, pick them all.

It's weird as alot of tire manufacturers have over the last few years started to shift away from Chinese and Indonesian tires, especially in the North American market.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

Yes, unions in the states is a strange thing. Looking out for a good work environment is their number one job.

So if I get drunk and almost impale you with the forklift and not get punished for it over and over again a "good work environment"? Asking for a friend a friend who literally had this happen to him.

 

[nthach]

It's weird as alot of tire manufacturers have over the last few years started to shift away from Chinese and Indonesian tires, especially in the North American market.

Weird, it seems like Michelin has been doubling down on Indonesia with their “cheaper” BFG/Uniroyal lines.

The Chinese brands - LingLong as an example have been importing from Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand because of tariffs. Ditto for Sailun, Advanta or your favorite Chinesium.

 

[factorytuned2012]

That’s absolutely disgusting to do to people and their families. This is happening everywhere it seems these days Georgetown Sc shutting down the paper mill that’ll affect 700+ employees and their families.

 

[pbm]

Yes, unions in the states is a strange thing. Looking out for a good work environment is their number one job.

Union bosses are politicians and the 'workers' are the voters.

 

[Dave Hess]

I survived the shutdown of a company facility. We were all herded into a conference room, told what was happening, and then had to sign for our severance package paperwork before being allowed to leave the conference room.

When we got out of the conference room, the building was full of security guards. We were allowed to grab our coats and car keys, and nothing else, and were immediately escorted from the building.

I was able to make my way though the building using some less travelled corridors, and found the Director of Operations before being escorted out. Since I was the head of the facilities team, I agreed to stay on for another four months to assist in shutting the facility down. I was then allowed free movement within the facility to continue to work.

All of the other people were given a one hour time slot during the next week to come back in and clean out their offices... while being regularly "checked on" by the security officers. It was a really bad vibe. One of our programmers, an older woman, got into it with one of the security guards when she went past her allotted time period. I heard the verbal skirmish from half-way across the building. I stepped in and told the security officer to back off, and I would accept all responsibility for her actions from that point on.

We found out that the people from corporate who came in from out of town to shut the facility down had come into town using assumed names to check into a local hotel, and were intentionally driving rental cars. Really....

Are you still employed by that same company ?

What happened to that facility ?

 

[Dave Hess]

I was talking about how toxic the whole process can be.

Yes, lots of nasty chemicals needed + the pure natural rubber = Tire

 

[nthach]

Yes, lots of nasty chemicals needed + the pure natural rubber = Tire

Yea, right now Washington State, Oregon and California are looking into microplastics added to tires for why the salmon population is having a higher than usual rate. Copper in organic brake pads have been linked to a salmon die off.

Michelin and Yokohama have patented processes using sunflower(Helios by Michelin) or orange(Yokohama BluEarth) oil. But you still need crude oil to make styrene-butadiene rubber as well to compound both the synthetic or natural rubber with carbon black, silica, antioxidants and other ingredients.

 

[Speedbird001]

NY based: regulations and taxes HAVE to be a factor and the owners know with certainty those are only going to increase...

Simple risk management. Take advantage of a lull. Need be, they can open a new plant in a more business friendly area.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

NY based: regulations and taxes HAVE to be a factor and the owners know with certainty those are only going to increase...

Simple risk management. Take advantage of a lull. Need be, they can open a new plant in a more business friendly area.

8.75% sales tax second highest sales tax short of NYC.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

Really sorry for those employees + the families.

 

[eljefino]

Wouldn't a tariff on raw materials be a cheaper proportion of the final sale price than a finished tire with all value added overseas?

I bet this factory was just old and obsolete. I saw a 20 year old McDonalds get bulldozed and rebuilt from the slab because it was cheaper to make today's efficient kitchen from the ground up.

 

[Dave Hess]

Wouldn't a tariff on raw materials be a cheaper proportion of the final sale price than a finished tire with all value added overseas?

I bet this factory was just old and obsolete. I saw a 20 year old McDonalds get bulldozed and rebuilt from the slab because it was cheaper to make today's efficient kitchen from the ground up.

Every industry is about max efficiency and cost cutting.

McDonalds now has the kiosk to order and 1 less employee to enter order, same at a remodeled Burger King, Taco Bell.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

Really sorry for those employees + the families.

Yeah. Local scumbag dealership chain offered jobs and car mechanic training for those with mechanical aptitude apparently. But its 2024 and every one has access to the internet so...

 

[CKN]

Three pages thus far of-we really don't know but here are my guesses......

 

[genynnc]

I saw quite a few positive comments on no-name tires imported from SE Asia on another thread on BITOG... guess this could be a reasonable sentiment as to one of the many reasons "why" this sudden & unfortunate plant closure.

Unfortunate all around.

 

[nthach]

I saw quite a few positive comments on no-name tires imported from SE Asia on another thread on BITOG... guess this could be a reasonable sentiment as to one of the many reasons "why" this sudden & unfortunate plant closure.

Unfortunate all around.

That plant also made Harley’s branded Dunlop D401/402 tires too. But, Harley also allowed Michelin to be an OE with The Motor Company’s trademark, and Thailand is their pushbike/motorbike tire plant. Sumitomo will probably sourced Harley-branded tires from their Japanese plants that already do Honda/Suzuki/Yamaha/Kawasaki OE tires.

 

[Enthusiast]

Unfortunately they could not complete with tires made in Asia and closed the factory.
Almost 1600 out of work.

Goodyear has closed a few tire factories here in the USA cause they simply couldn’t compete with tires made overseas. Union or no union companies need to close unprofitable factories.

Here's a part that confuses me. I recently helped my father buy a set of new tires for his jeep. It came down between a set of Goodyear comforttred (or whatever the current name is) and Cooper Endeavor Plus. The Coopers were at around $50 per tire cheaper, made in the USA, and had better reviews. The Good years were foreign made and more expensive. In the past, I would just chalk this up for different companies in their dynamics. But, with Goodyear owning Cooper, this is in essence the same company. Why is it that Goodyear has to charge more money for a foreign-made product that isn't as good as a US-made product by one of their sister divisions. I think there's more to this than what meets the eye.